the exception rather than the rule
noun phrase
: not common or usual : not often done, seen, or happening : rare
Friendly customer service seems to be the exception rather than the rule nowadays.
Examples of the exception rather than the rule in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
However, those emerging stars are the exception rather than the rule for most student-athletes.
—
Katie Lauer, The Mercury News, 5 Apr. 2024
Certainly, such experiences are the exception rather than the rule, yet there are bits that even the world’s most luxurious properties consistently mess up.
—Jonathan Soroff, Robb Report, 8 Feb. 2024
To see if perhaps crabs were the exception rather than the rule among arthropods, Full decided to study cockroaches.
—Carl Zimmer, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019
Since most top-yielding savings accounts are offered by online banks, in-person customer service tends to be the exception rather than the rule.
—Martha C. White, wsj.com, 2 Oct. 2023
But the children benefiting from that in-person contact remain the exception rather than the rule.
—Dominique Soguel, The Christian Science Monitor, 26 Sep. 2023
However, these top earners are largely the exception rather than the rule.
—Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 16 Aug. 2023
As organizations review their business operations, this is now the exception rather than the rule, meaning HR professionals are having to be Swiss Army knives.
—Andrea Davey, Forbes, 18 Apr. 2023
Katie Lauer, The Mercury News, 5 Apr. 2024
Certainly, such experiences are the exception rather than the rule, yet there are bits that even the world’s most luxurious properties consistently mess up.
—Jonathan Soroff, Robb Report, 8 Feb. 2024
To see if perhaps crabs were the exception rather than the rule among arthropods, Full decided to study cockroaches.
—Carl Zimmer, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019
Since most top-yielding savings accounts are offered by online banks, in-person customer service tends to be the exception rather than the rule.
—Martha C. White, wsj.com, 2 Oct. 2023
But the children benefiting from that in-person contact remain the exception rather than the rule.
—Dominique Soguel, The Christian Science Monitor, 26 Sep. 2023
However, these top earners are largely the exception rather than the rule.
—Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 16 Aug. 2023
As organizations review their business operations, this is now the exception rather than the rule, meaning HR professionals are having to be Swiss Army knives.
—Andrea Davey, Forbes, 18 Apr. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'the exception rather than the rule.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near the exception rather than the rule
Cite this Entry
“The exception rather than the rule.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20exception%20rather%20than%20the%20rule. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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